Magnetic catch



May 26, 1959 H. o; scoTT ETAL MAGNETIC CATCH Filed Aug. 10, 1956 INVEAITORJ` iyiso. 9607 7' Bf# M1 aft/0 L. ,O/irc/l l p E i i J A rtg/www United States Patent Hice 2,888,291 Patented May 26, 1959 MAGNETIC CATCH Application August 10, 1956, Serial No. 603,299

Claims. (Cl. 292-2515) This invention relates to a magnetic catch and more 32 have central dimples 36 extruded therein to fit nicely within the aperture 34 of magnet 30. This provides a. lvery economical method of securely mounting the pole particularly to a magnetic catch of the type commonly -used for holding cabinet doors closed.

Experience has shown that a magnetic catch for cabinet doors must be designed so that the magnet is capable of full contact with the strike member even when after installation, the door becomes slightly warped so as to normally produce misalignment. Thus, as a practical matter, a magnetic catch in order to operate effectively must be capable of limited angular movement to permit self-alignment of the magnet with the strike plate. Varions magnetic catches have been proposed heretofore wherein the magnet is shiftably retained within a casing to permit this self-adjustment that is necessary. However, such constructions as have been suggested heretofore have, for the most part, proved not to be completely satisfactory either from the standpoint of operation or from the standpoint of cost of manufacture.

It is an object of this invention to provide a magnetic catch that is of very economical construction and which at the same time is designed to compensate for warpage of doors and the like so that the magnet is capable of self-alignment.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the magnetic catch of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of a cabinet construction embodying a catch of lthe present invention taken along the lines 2-2 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 and showing the self-aligning feature of the magnet in connection with a warped cabinet door.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the magnetic catch assembly shown in Fig. 1 includes a casing 10 in which the magnet is housed and a strike plate 12 adapted to be engaged by the magnet. Casing 10 is preferably formed as a one-piece stamping that is fashioned with a top wall 14 turned downwardly along each side to provide side walls 16 that are turned outwardly along their lower edges to provide mounting flanges 18 that are formed with elongated slots 20 through which mounting screws 22 are adapted to be driven to mount the catch on a cabinet structure 24. At its rear edge, Wall 14 is bent downwardly to provide a rear wall 26 for the casing. Wall 26 is bent forwardly along its lower edge so as to provide a bottom wall 28.

The magnet structure within housing 10 includes a at ceramic magnet 30 having pole pieces 32 magnetically adhered to the top and bottom faces thereof. It will be appreciated that in a ceramic magnet of this type, the poles of the magnet comprise the opposite broad flat faces of the magnet. It is necessary, of course, to mount the pole pieces 32 on the opposite -faces of magnet 30 so that they will be firmly locked thereon. To this end magnet 30 is molded with a central aperture 34 and pole pieces pieces on the opposite faces of the magnet.

As will be seen from Fig. 2, both the magnet 30 and the pole pieces 32 are generally of rectangular shape. Each pole piece has parallel side edges 38 and a straight forward edge 40 generally perpendicular to the side edges 38. The rear edge 42 of each pole piece 32 is of arcuate shape and is symmetrically disposed. Adjacent therear edge 42, each pole piece is provided with a pair of lateral, oppositely extending lugs 44. The side walls 16 of casing 11b are fashioned to provide openings 46 at each side of the casing; and adjacent the rear wall 26 thereof, lugs 44 project outwardly through the openings 46. It will be observed that the width of pole pieces 32 is less than the width of casing 10 so that the side edges 38 of the pole` pieces are adapted to have a clearance with the side walls 16 of the casing. Likewise, it will be observed that the openings 46 at each side of casing 10 are substantially larger than necessary to accommodate the lugs 44. Thus,

the magnet 30 with its pole pieces 32 is arranged to have a limited amount of rotative movement in a horizontal plane within casing 10. This is necessary to insure full contact between the edges 40 of pole pieces 32 and the at face of strike plate 12 in an installation where they of pole pieces 32 and strike plate 12 is to be obtained. With the magnetic catch construction shown herein, it willy be noted that the magnet together with the attached pole` pieces is permitted to align itself readily within casing 10 to accommodate for the misalignment of the plane of strike plate 12. Under such circumstances, the arcuate rear edges 42 of the pole pieces 32 rock against the vrear wall 26 of the housing to a position wherein the forward edges 40 of the pole pieces align themselves with the plane of strike plate 12. The maximum misalignment permissible with the construction shown is illustrated in Fig. 4 where it will be observed that the lugs 44 at the left are in abutting relation with the rear edges of the side walls 16. At the same time, it will be observed that there is only a slight clearance designated 50 between the arcuate edge 42 of the pole pieces and the rear wall 26 of the casing. Thus, even though the magnet with its pole pieces is mounted so as to allow for considerable shifting within the housing, there is at all times relatively little clearance between the lugs 44 and the rear vertical edges of the side walls 16 and between the rear arcuate edges 42 of the pole pieces and the rear wall 26 of the housing. Thus, in the closed position, the door is held with very little looseness by the catch. If the rear edge 42 of the pole pieces 32 were fashioned as a straight edge rather than as an arcuate edge as illustrated, then it will be appreciated that there would have to be considerably more clearance between the rear edges of the pole pieces and the rear wall 26 of the casing if the catch is to be one of the self-aligning type. It follows, therefore, that if the edges 42 of the pole pieces were straight rather than arcuate as shown, there would be considerable looseness in the door when disposed in the closed position.

We claim:

1. A magnetic catch assembly comprising a casing open at one end and having side walls adjacent opposite sides of said open end and a rear wall opposite said open end of the casing, a magnet loosely disposed within said casing, said magnet having a pair of pole pieces thereon projecting at one end thereof outwardly through the open end 'of said casing, the edges of said pole pieces opposite said one end thereof being disposed adjacent said rear wall and being of arcuate shape in plan so that the magnet is permitted to rock against said rear wall in a hori zontal plane and means interengaging said pole pieces and casing to prevent withdrawal of said pole pieces from said casing outwardly through said open end, said last mentioned means limiting the movement of said pole pieces in a direction outwardly of said open end to a position wherein said arcuate edges of the pole pieces have only slight clearance with said rear wall.

2. A magnetic catch assembly as called for in claim l wherein said casing is provided with a pair of spaced apart openings therein, said pole pieces each having a pair of lugs projecting from opposite side edges thereof loosely through said openings in the casing, said openings and lugs comprising said last mentioned means,

'3. A magnetic catch assembly as called for in claim 2 wherein said openings in the casing are disposed adjacent said rear Wall and said lugs are disposed adjacent said arcuate edges of said pole pieces.

4. A magnetic catch asembly as called for in claim 2 wherein said openings in the casing are formed in the planes of said side walls and said lugs project laterally outwardly beyond the side edges of said pole pieces.

5. A magnetic catch assembly as called for in claim 2 wherein said openings are disposed in the planes of said side walls closely adjacent said rear wall and said lugs project laterally from opposite side edges of said pole pieces adjacent said arcuate edges.

6. A magnetic catch assembly comprising a casing having an open end and a rear wall opposite said open end, a magnet disposed loosely in said casing and having a pair of pole pieces thereon disposed one above and one below said magnet, said pole pieces projecting at one end outwardly through said open end of said casing, the ends of said pole pieces opposite said one end thereof being disposed adjacent said rear wall and being of arcuate shape in plan such that when said arcuate edges are in contact with said rear wall, said pole pieces may be rocked in a horizontal plane against said rear wall whereby said one end of the pole pieces may be angularly disposed with reference to said open end of the casing and means for limiting the movement of said pole pieces outwardly of said open end to a position wherein said arcuate edges of the pole pieces are spaced only slightly from the plane of said rear wall.

7. A magnetic catch assembly comprising a non-magnetic casing having a top wall, a pair of side walls, an open end and a rear wall at the end of the casing opposite said open end and a magnet disposed loosely in said casing, said magnet having a pair of generally at pole pieces thereen disposed one against the top face and one against the bottom face thereof, said pole pieces projecting at one end thereof outwardly through said open end of the casing and having side edges spaced slightly from the side walls of said casing, the ends of said pole pieces opposite said one end thereof being disposed adjacent said rear wall of the casing and being of arcuate shape in plan and means limiting the movement of said pole pieces outwardly of said open Vend of the 'casing to a position wherein said arcuate edges are spaced only slightly from the plane of said rear wall.

8. A magnetic catch assembly as called for in claim 7 wherein said `last mentioned means comprises abutments on said pole pieces engageable with portions of said casing.

9. A magnetic catch assembly as called for in `claim 7 wherein said last mentioned means comprises a pair of spaced apart abutments projecting from said pole pieces. said casing being provided with openings through which said abutments project freely.

l0. A magnetic catch assembly as called for in claim 7 wherein said pele pieces are generally rectangularly shaped and symmetrical with respect to a line perpendicular to the tangent at the center of said arcuate edge.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,240,035 Catherall Apr. 29, 1941 2,701,158 Schmitt Feb. 1, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 631,523 Great Britain Nov. 4, 1949 

